ALGIERS: The powerful head of Algerian private media group Ennahar, Anis Rahmani, has been arrested on corruption and other charges, a security source said on Thursday. Rahmani -- who is said to be close to former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika -- "was arrested yesterday for corruption and is in police custody," the source told AFP.
The 49-year-old journalist, whose real name is Mohamed Mokadem, has been accused of offences including "breach of exchange regulations", "blackmail to gain undue advantage" and "holding foreign bank accounts", according to several Algerian private media outlets. The Ennahar group confirmed Rahmani’s arrest in a statement published on its website on Thursday.